Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

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Summary Paolini has just filled this book with inarticulate dribble.

Review by Joshua S Hill

When there grows a significant span of time between reading books in a series, sometimes the books will acquire a certain measure of unfounded love. You forget just whether the book is any good or not, and tend to give it the benefit of the doubt; because if nothing else, you’re looking forward to the forthcoming book, right?

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini acquired that unrealism in my head as I waited for its arrival, all those months ago. I had enjoyed the first two books well enough, and was hoping that – as with many authors – the author’s skill would have grown.

Sadly, Paolini didn’t feel that was necessary in telling his best selling series. Similar to J.K. Rowling, Paolini knew that he could survive on his popularity and the originating story, rather than any actual literary skill.

I want to make it very clear though, that Paolini (and I guess Rowling as well) created an ingenious story. I don’t hold with the idea that it is simply a rip-off of Star Wars meshed together with Lord of the Rings. It’s not as if either of those two stories was entirely original anyway. No, Paolini’s problem in my eyes is that he has gotten everywhere without any actual writing skills.

One of Paolini’s most obvious flaws is in the apparent belief that Paolini thinks he can write like Tolkien. An XKCD comic describes one of Paolini’s major flaws perfectly in a comic entitled “Fiction Rule of Thumb.” In it a graph depicts a falling curve which states that the probability that a book is good will decline as the number of words made up by the author increase.

Without a doubt, it is good to stretch yourself and aim big. But when you’re only in your early 20’s and trying to mimic Tolkien, you’re in for a big reality shock. Tolkien was a linguistic genius, having studied the topic for decades and taught it at the University of Oxford. Anyone who attempts to imitate the man is either very brave or oh so very stupid.

This is exemplified most clearly once you reach the end of the book, where Paolini feels that his story is deserved of an “On the Origin of Names.” In it, he shamelessly attempts to mimic Tolkien in explaining his characters names came from. It is nothing short of ludicrous and laughable. There is nowhere near the work put into Paolini’s name creation to warrant such a chapter, especially when a simple glossary would have sufficed. (Let us not forget that authors as great as Jordan and Erikson were happy with just a glossary.)

As for the story itself, I will say that it isn’t horrible; as long as you ignore the flaws in his writing. Eragon continues to learn new skills; he gets himself in and out of trouble, sometimes with the help of his dragon Saphira, other times without; Roran (Eragon’s cousin) rescues his bride and somehow manages to become Paolini’s mimicry of Hercules in the Inheritance Cycle.

But everything is so contrived. Roran manages to come through virtually unscathed, after attempting suicidal and almost physically impossible feats. Eragon turns his burgeoning magic into nothing more than an obvious reflection of 21st century technology (in once scene he uses it as an alarm clock). Eragon also uses his magic as a lightsaber, copying the scene from Star Wars Episode 1 where Qui Gon Jin attempts to melt through bulkhead doors.

Paolini had originally said that he needed to expand his trilogy to four books, to fully tell the story. In a very Robert Jordan-esque manner, Paolini has just filled this book with inarticulate dribble in an attempt to expand his moneymaking possibilities. There was so much excess in here as to be proof that no fourth book was necessary.

As to why it is so popular, it’s the Rowling-story problem. Both Rowling and Paolini have created wonderful stories that engage the reader and make you want more. Sadly, neither of them can write very well, and only manage to get through on the strength of the underlying story. There are no doubt worse authors out there, but by gosh neither is even in the top 50% of great writers.

Brisingr: eragon - Inheritance Cycle, Book 3 (Amazon.co.uk)

Author: Christopher Paolini
Binding: Hardcover
Number of pages: 784
Publication date: 2008-09-20
Publisher: Doubleday Children's Books

RRP: £16.99
Lowest new price: £4.94
Lowest used price: £3.38

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini -- of which Brisingr is the latest -- shows every sign of becoming one of the most exuberant and entertaining fiction sequences in modern writing, with a scope and ambition that genuinely takes the breath away. This is a fantasy world which is cleverly designed to appeal to the widest possible range of readership; the inevitable echoes of JRR Tolkien are transformed into something rich and strange here, and the events of the earlier books are being drawn together in the later developments with masterly assurance.

After the massive, punishing battle against the Warriors of the Empire, Eragon and Saphira are licking their wounds, having barely survived. The Rider and his dragon have an oath to fulfil; they must aid Katrina in escaping the most terrible danger. What follows is an epic journey, quite as action-packed and vividly described as anything in fantasy fiction. As in all the best such literature, the odds are overwhelming, nothing can be taken at face value, and the evil forces ranged against the protagonists are as vile as one could wish.

Christopher Paolini clearly now feels that he has readers securely in his pocket, and is prepared to take his time to achieve some of his best effects -- a tactic that pays dividends. So often with fantasy fiction, outlandish situations are relied upon to carry the action, and there is no shortage of them here. But Paolini is canny enough to realise that the characterisation of an endangered protagonist is crucial to maintain our involvement, and (as in previous books), he always takes care of business in this regard. Don't be put off by the daunting length of this book -- Paolini justifies every word in Brisingr. You'll find yourself reading it as quickly as many a shorter book. --Barry Forshaw
Amazon.co.uk Review

Nico from Trondheim
"I can only agree wish Joshua saying that Paolini has not the talent of Tolkien and therefore should not try to write like him. But compairing this to the Harry Potter series is uncalled for. It has been clear from the very first tome, Eragon, that this story, though enjoyable, lacked anything that an older and more talented author could bring to make it more than a children's tale. But on the other hand the same cannot be said of JK Rowling: yes she could rely only on her celebrity to sell as many books as she wanted to, but she didn't, she properly ended her seven books series and did it quite well I would say. To me JK's description of the character is just as good as could be and the complete story shows unity. Nothing to compare this Eragon stuff with I would say."

Bob from NJ
"It is a great book to read."

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